Someone once said, “be who you are and like what you do.” Maybe that’s really not so narcissistic, through the filter of Jesus.

Who you are. Being who you are is being authentically true to who Christ made you to be. If He created you to enjoy giving hugs, give out hundreds. If He made you serious and thoughtful, teach us what He shows you. If He made you creative, create for His glory. If you see beauty, share it. If you know how to play the guitar, strum it. Maybe you are a really good listener, so listen. Be who He made you to be, not who anyone wants you to be. Ask Him to show you how He has created you and contribute to the Body of Christ in a way that will build all the rest of us up. Don’t be who the world wants you to be, be who God made you to be.

Like what you do. Enjoy your life, whether it’s easy or difficult. It’s your life, so ask God to give you joy in it. Maybe you get to dig ditches, dig with a smile, because it’s your privilege. Maybe you move furniture, enjoy it. Or cooking a meal for your family, make it fun. Our attitude is our choice. We can focus on the negative or the positive. We can be “woe as me” or delighted we have the strength and health to rake the leaves or the mental capacity to balance the checkbook.

Living with Jesus is seeing everything from a new perspective. We learn to be who we are and like what we do. Joel Gilbert is a volunteer that excels in this little happy “carpe diem” phrase. He finds joy. He lives in joy. He gives joy. Why? Because he represents Jesus.

Doesn’t matter the circumstance, Joel lives steady and he loves well. He makes hammering stakes into the ground, for a community night, a game to teach community kids how to work. He throws wet cardboard over his shoulder, never too good to help. He delivers furniture to families starting over. He hauls construction size bags of sorted clothing to outreach events. If he doesn’t see you smiling, he is scheming a plan to make you laugh. No stressful situation is too stressful to miss hope. Life will throw hard days, but all the hard will end, so don’t get bogged down in the current circumstance of your day. If the hard hasn’t passed, you just haven’t made it to the end.

Don’t worry. Don’t. Find joy. Sweep the floor. Not enough light in the donation room or the shelf broke, no problem. He’ll fix it. The jeep won’t crank. Wait, pray, try again. It cranked. Laugh, why not. It’s just a thing.

As an active Grace Klein Community member, Joel Gilbert has first hand knowledge of the day-to-day operations of the organization. If we designated a chief servant, that might be his name tag. He is strong in serving, order, patience and generosity, with a dollop of laughter. He can’t always hear what you say, but he’s an expert at smiling and nodding. He will organize books, laminate puzzle boxes or tape food boxes. He has traveled to Belize to help build a water tower and will come early or stay late to help at community events. Maybe you don’t see him, but you will always see evidence of him.

Isn’t that such a picture of Jesus?! Maybe we can’t always see Jesus, but we can always see evidence of Him. Seeing the evidence of Joel is catching a glimpse of the evidence of Jesus. A humble servant, hidden in Christ, Joel no longer lives, but Christ in Him and that is the hope of glory.

What makes us better together? The Jesus in each of us. Don’t miss Him. His evidence is all around us. He has infiltrated us, making us like Himself, and for that we are all better together.

Someone once said, “be who you are and like what you do.” Maybe that’s really not so narcissistic, through the filter of Jesus.

Who you are. Being who you are is being authentically true to who Christ made you to be. If He created you to enjoy giving hugs, give out hundreds. If He made you serious and thoughtful, teach us what He shows you. If He made you creative, create for His glory. If you see beauty, share it. If you know how to play the guitar, strum it. Maybe you are a really good listener, so listen. Be who He made you to be, not who anyone wants you to be. Ask Him to show you how He has created you and contribute to the Body of Christ in a way that will build all the rest of us up. Don’t be who the world wants you to be, be who God made you to be.

Like what you do. Enjoy your life, whether it’s easy or difficult. It’s your life, so ask God to give you joy in it. Maybe you get to dig ditches, dig with a smile, because it’s your privilege. Maybe you move furniture, enjoy it. Or cooking a meal for your family, make it fun. Our attitude is our choice. We can focus on the negative or the positive. We can be “woe as me” or delighted we have the strength and health to rake the leaves or the mental capacity to balance the checkbook.

Living with Jesus is seeing everything from a new perspective. We learn to be who we are and like what we do. Joel Gilbert is a volunteer that excels in this little happy “carpe diem” phrase. He finds joy. He lives in joy. He gives joy. Why? Because he represents Jesus.

Doesn’t matter the circumstance, Joel lives steady and he loves well. He makes hammering stakes into the ground, for a community night, a game to teach community kids how to work. He throws wet cardboard over his shoulder, never too good to help. He delivers furniture to families starting over. He hauls construction size bags of sorted clothing to outreach events. If he doesn’t see you smiling, he is scheming a plan to make you laugh. No stressful situation is too stressful to miss hope. Life will throw hard days, but all the hard will end, so don’t get bogged down in the current circumstance of your day. If the hard hasn’t passed, you just haven’t made it to the end.

Don’t worry. Don’t. Find joy. Sweep the floor. Not enough light in the donation room or the shelf broke, no problem. He’ll fix it. The jeep won’t crank. Wait, pray, try again. It cranked. Laugh, why not. It’s just a thing.

As an active Grace Klein Community member, Joel Gilbert has first hand knowledge of the day-to-day operations of the organization. If we designated a chief servant, that might be his name tag. He is strong in serving, order, patience and generosity, with a dollop of laughter. He can’t always hear what you say, but he’s an expert at smiling and nodding. He will organize books, laminate puzzle boxes or tape food boxes. He has traveled to Belize to help build a water tower and will come early or stay late to help at community events. Maybe you don’t see him, but you will always see evidence of him.

Isn’t that such a picture of Jesus?! Maybe we can’t always see Jesus, but we can always see evidence of Him. Seeing the evidence of Joel is catching a glimpse of the evidence of Jesus. A humble servant, hidden in Christ, Joel no longer lives, but Christ in Him and that is the hope of glory.

What makes us better together? The Jesus in each of us. Don’t miss Him. His evidence is all around us. He has infiltrated us, making us like Himself, and for that we are all better together.